


This Game We Play

by Mmmmwaffles



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: BAMF Merlin, Magic Revealed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-21 22:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17650676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mmmmwaffles/pseuds/Mmmmwaffles
Summary: This Game We Play aka Arthur and Morgana play a dirty trick on Merlin but it's for the greater good.





	This Game We Play

 

Two cloaked figures shuffle close in the dark, dank, and deserted hall in the depths of the castle.

Let plan Q commence.

"Are you sure he's going to come? What did you tell him?" Morgana's hushed voice bounces off the walls.

"I didn't tell him anything-"

"-what?"

"I left him a note."

"..alright but what did it _say_?" Morgana stresses.

Arthur shuffles his feet again, getting impatient and maybe feeling guilty.

"The note just said 'We Know' and the meeting place." he ssys quickly under his breath.

Morgana sputters. "Y..you WHAT?" she hisses, "That's _awful_. It sounds like we're blackmailing him-"

"We kind of are.."

"-shut up! Do you even think about the things you do sometimes? Where is the 'diplomatic prowess' you claim you have so much of?"

Arthur grumbles, "It is not that bad, we'll just talk to him and everything will be fine."

Morgana glares at him; not that it really makes a difference because they can't really see each other but she hopes he can feel her stare on him. (He can) "You don't know that for sure. For all we know he could be an enemy; not at all the person we think we know, someone bent on ruining all we've worked for. It's happened before or have you forgotten?"

Arthur exhales, "Do you really think that of him?"

Morgana backs down and certainly does NOT slump and says, "No...i just really hope I'm not wrong."

Arthur sympathized with her, it's been a long time since they've found a potential ally. It's mostly been just releasing innocents from the dungeons and pointing then in the direction of the nearest druid pickup point. They don't have much contact with the druids but they did have an unofficial quick-stop refugees could go hide at and a druid would meet them. They HOPE. They've only seen the man twice. But he promised that everyone sent his way would be taken and cared for. It is the best they have. Hell, it could just be the one druid for all they know.

The potential of having a new ally; an ally who KNOWS _real_ magic could be a huge game changer. They'd ask Gaius but with him being so close to Uther AND a history of turning his back on magic really doesn't sit well with them. Hell, the fact that they are asking the man's WARD and APPRENTICE to join them is super risky. They went over it a hundred times. Merlin was specifically hired by the king himself to be Arthur's manservant; a highly coveted position. Merlin could very possibly be a spy for the king. A direct link for Uther into their little rebellion. It took a _lot_ of arguing and planning and nitpicking to deside to give the young boy a chance. _'Could be a trick' 'Uther is a hypocrite, he's used magic to weed out others before'_ but after so many chances that could have meant death to them both Merlin always seemed to have Arthur's best interests at heart. Even if Arthur wasn't interested. Merlin was there always at the right moment. It was weird and confusing and suspicious but that just seemed...to be how Merlin is. Now with this little revelation they were almost sure this was the right choice. Almost. But what war didn't require risks?

Once again Morgana broke the silence between them, "Still, he's not going to want to be very friendly with us."

"I didn't _threaten_ him-"

"Not outright, it's _insinuated_."

Arthur huffs. "I don't think he has it in him to be unfriendly. Snarky and insufferably annoying, sure, but _have_ you met him?"

"He's been hiding who he is for who knows how long. We obviously don't know him that well. This could seriously make him mistrust us, like he doesn't enough already, Mr. I-keep-saying-i-hate-magic."

Arthur turns toward her voice. "I thought i was feeding a spy wrong information."

Morgana rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, "You know as well as i that Uther hasn't and would never in a million years think _we_ were the 'heathenous rats' releasing prisoners."

"You don't know that for sure." Arthur says throwing Morgana's words back at her.

"For someone who's trying to hide, you two are very loud." came a low and even voice. Something about it sounded off.

Arthur whips around at the sound of the stranger. He could not believe he'd just been snuck up on. Well he wouldn't have been if it's _Mer_ lin. "Who the bloody hell are you?"

"Who am i?" asks the stranger.

Morgana hit Arthur on the shoulder. Arthur shoves her back.

" _You_ are the ones who've _brought_ me here!"

Morgana now knew why his voice sounded funny. It wasn't echoing down the hall. It was like he was speaking in a library. The sound never left their immediate vasinity. She then realizes _their_ voices had stopped echoing as well. Must be a spell. How long had he _been_ there?

"Who the hell are you and what do you want?" Merlin demands, his voice still low but no longer even. It's very clear he's angry. Arthur is still quietly reeling that _this_ is Merlin they were speaking to. He sounded...a little dangerous.

"Well?" Merlin says. _Emphasis on the 'little'._

Arthur clears his throat, "My name is Aaron and this is my sister Em." he says going with their code names. Not all that creative but they were common and plain enough to do the job. Merlin doesn't say anything waiting for 'Aaron' to continue. It is hard to see his face in the dim light that was being cast by a single candle in the corner. That and the dark hood coveres a good portion.

"We have come to you with a proposition." Morgana steps in. Pleease let all this work. She silently apologized to him for this.

"Well it's not like i have a choice to NOT listen. You've made that plenty clear with your note. So come on, spit it out i haven't got all night, I've got to wake an insufferable prat in a few hours."

Arthur raises an eyebrow ' _insufferable_ ' now? Morgana senses his offense and puts a hand on his shoulder, silently telling him to back down.

"Does your master always get your scorn? Is he really so undesirable?" Morgana asks.

"Undesireable isn't even the half of it!" Merlin laughs. Arthur's gut twists; it was like ice being poured on his head. Does Merlin _really_ HATE him?

"How would you like to get rid of that problem?" Morgana asks.

The smile seems to vanish instantly from the young boy's face. "Pardon?"

Morgana steps forward in front of Arthur, it seems she was taking the lead on this one. "How would you like to get rid of _him?_ Hm? That's what we're here for. We're working to liberate Camelot of her tyrants. Bring magic back where it belongs."

Merlin takes a step back from Morgana's advance " _What?_ "

Morgana takes another step forward holding out her arms. "Imagine being free to be who you are! _Imagine_ being free to do as you _please!_ It's achievable. We have everything in place. Now we just need _you_. You're so invisible and have unlimited access to the royals here. You're position is _perfect._ "

Merlin takes another step back as Morgana continues, "So what do you say?  Help us end the Pendragons and bring back magic to our home?" Morgana holds the question there for Merlin to mull over. He is silent, just staring. At least she thinks so, she can't see anything but his chin and lower lip.

"...and if i refuse?" Merlin quietly asks. Arthur let out the breath he was holding. He silently begs him to not let him down.

But they need to rap this up NOW.

Arthur steps forward til he was shoulder to shoulder with Morgana. "Like you said earlier, it's not like you really have a choice." Arthur forces himself to smile so Merlin can hear it in his voice. " _We_ know. No one else does, but I wonder whom might benefit from the knowledge." Arthur taps on his chin in fake contomplation. "Hey, maybe we should tell the Prince! Then maybe when you're gone he'll be so greatful to me for saving him I'LL get appointed his manservant! That is, after all, how _you_ wound up with the _honor,_ is it not?" he says bowing on the word honor.

Morgana laughs hautly, "Then we really wouldn't _need_ you, would we? But we really wanted to give you the chance."

Merlin shakes his head, "No. No i can't let you do that."

"There's no you 'letting' us anything!" Arthur says.

"I won't let you hurt the Prince."

Morgana stops laughing, "But he's allowed to hurt you? Your people? How cruel."

"Arthur isn't like that, he's not _cruel."_ Merlin says still shaking his head.

"But he's insufferable? A prat, you said! You hate him!" Arthur throws out. If he sounds mad, he _is_ mad. None of this was going anywhere fast and he was insulted and confused and hated doing this. They _have_ to be sure, though.

Merlin makes a sound, Arthur doesn't know what to make of it. "I never said i _hated_ him." Merlin all but whisperes. The small sound makes Arthur's chest hurt.

Morgana scoffs, "So you use magic for your chores but god forbid anyone else use it? You're just like _them!_ "

"No!-"

"Yes, you are! You are heartless! A fiend! Our master will bring a special hell fire down upon you for your traitorousness! We'll make sure of that." Morgana hisses at him.

"Your master?" Merlin asks.

Morgana smiles again; how does she make that look so easy? "Yees, our _great_ master. Have you heard of him? Our lord Emrys? Hm?"

Merlin sucks in a breath, "You lie." his voice sounding like he was choking.

"Oh so you _do_ know him?" she purrs "So you know what's coming."

Arthur lets out a barking laugh, "He will seek distruction of all that would stop us. Camelot will fall-"

Merlin is shaking now, "No, it won't!"

"-and a _new_ Camelot will rise in it's place."

Arthur can hear Merlin's breathing as it's shaking with fear , his head is bowed, "That won't happen." Arthur is surprised the other's voice is steady. No fear to be heard. It had that...dangerous feel back. He surpresses a shiver.

"Oh?" Morgana questiones. "How are you going to stop us? Who are _you_ compared to _Emrys_? What makes you so sure it won't happen?"

A slow but sharply cold wind sweeps through the hall making the candle flicker. Both Arthur and Morgana freeze in shock as a pair of blazing gold orbs appear where the young manservant stood.

The brief thought ' _Gods, those are his_ eyes' runs through Arthurs head.

The cold pierces their skin as the glowing eyes pierce their eyes and a voice pierces their souls.

" _Because_ _ **I**_ _Am Emrys_."

The sorcerer's voice seems to boom in their ears and in their heads.

"You will not harm a single soul in Camelot so long as i live." He raises one hand and the two nobles in discise found themselves soaring back and flattened against the wall that had been far behind them.

"She is under _my_ protection and anyone who has the _audacity_ to threaten her.." his hand still raise he marches forward toward them, "..answers to _me."_

He sucks in a breath to chant a sleeping spell but Arthur stops him. He pulls down his hood breaking the spell that's woven in the fabric and shouts, "Good _gods_! Ok! OK! That's enough! We give! Merlin, holy _shit!_ "

Merlin pauses, he _knows_ that voice.

" ** _Forbairn_** "

A ball of fire lights up in Merlin's other hand. Morgana and Arthur squint at the onslaught of new light.

Arthur tries to readjust his sight, Morgana removes her hood thus breaking the spell on her cloak and Merlin just stares at them. His eyes still glowing brightly as he shifts them from one to the other.

His face frozen in a surprisingly menacing scowl he says, "Is this some kind of joke?"

Arthur holds his hands up, "No, no it's not. We just-"

Merlin scoffs, breaking Arthur off. "You're sick."

Arthur winces, "Just let me expl-"

"You think I'm _stupid_?" Merlin spits out?

"Wha-"

"You think I'm gonna _fall_ for-for _this_?" Merlin gestures to them. "You really are _sick!_ To what lengths are you really gonna go to to-"

"Merlin!" Morgana cut in. She draws herself up to her full hight. "Please. It's really us, let us explain."

Merlin's lip curls back in a snarl, "You _dare_ wear _her_ face!? Use _her_ voice!? Both of you!" he raises his hand like he's going to throw the fire. Arthur makes to put himself in front of Morgana.

"I know you brought me flowers!" Morgana exclaims.

Merlin stops dead in his tracks, he's frozen in place, "What?"

Morgana swallows and surpresses a shiver her adrenaline rush is giving her. "When you first came to Camelot Gwen told me you..you brought me flowers."

The fire in his hand goes out as Merlin stares at her, his eyes no longer glowing. He lowers his arm.

In the pitch dark he can only hear their breathing. "Bu..but you.. _what_?"

Arthur _would_ make a teasing remark about Merlin's inability to hear or make simple sentences or how he _brought the lady Morgana flowers_ but he knew now was not the time.

" _ **F..forbairn**_ " a small flickering light appears in Morgana's hand. Arthur shoots her a surprised and elated look, Merlin just gapes dumbly.

"Look i did it!" Morgana is almost buzzing with excitment she almost blows it out.

"How did you do that so quick!? You only heard the spell _once!_ " Arthur stares at her hand in awe.

"I told you I'm a quick study-"

"Enough!" Merlin all but shouts. The tiny flame almost flickers out. Merlin sighs, he seems drained. They all are. "Please" he croaks, "Will somebody _please_ explain what the _all bloody hell is going on here!?"_

Arthur and Morgana share a look and turn back toward Merlin. It's time to come clean. But neither know how to begin.

Morgana sighs and slowly brings a hand to Merlin's shoulder. The fact that he doesn't pull away is reasuring but right now he just looks so tired. He looks old. How does such a beautifully young face look old? It's the eyes, she thinks. Oh, Merlin. "We're so sorry we put you through that be we had to be _sure._ "

Merlin looks from the hand on his shoulder to her face. "..Sure?"

Morgana nods then looks back at Arthur who is massaging his temples. " _Yes,_ you idiot. _Sure_ you were really on our side." he says.

Merlin's eyebrows scew more, "Your side?..i don't un-"

"We needed to see if we could really trust you not to turn on Camelot! Or rather not turn against Arthur and not turn to Uther either. We needed to know if-"

"If you could trust me?" Merlin questions. "With what exactly? I have no idea what the hell that was or where you stand now! Are you torturing me now? Is that it?"

Arthur scoffs, "If i wanted to torture you I'd have you train with George on how to be a proper manservant."

Merlin is silent, staring at Arthur before huffing out a short laugh, "Ok. If i had any doubts about you really being Arthur they're gone now." He looks to the floor and scowls before pointing his glare back at Arthur. "But that still doesn't explain-"

"We're trying to overthrow Uther." Morgana says. Merlin's eyebrows shot up. "We've really only been undermining him so far, we don't have any allies."

"..Soo you.." Merlin gracfully articulates pointing at them and then himself.

Arthur is getting really cranky at this point but he know he doesn't really have any room to be with that nasty trick they just played. "Yes, we wanted to recruit _you._ We know next to nothing about magic but we know the persecution of the innocent is wrong, magic or no. Imagine my surprise to find that not only can you do magic but you, of alll people, know _complicated_ magic. You know, the stuff you need spells for?"

Merlin tilts his head and shifts, "Well..why didn't you just ask Gaius?"

Arthur's jaw drops but Morgana beats him to the punch, "Ask _Gaius??_ Gaius is close friends with Uther! He used to be a sorcerer but gave it up for him, he'd sooner turn us in than-what are you laughing about?"

Merlin chuckles at them and he shakes his head. "Gaius has known the king all his life but Uther isn't the man Gaius befriended all those years ago. Gaius knows about me." Morgana gasps and Arthur's eyes grow wide. "He's the reason i came to Camelot in the first place. My magic was getting too out of hand for my mother, or me, to handle so she sent me to my uncle to teach me control."

Arthur blanches, "Your _uncle?? Gaius is your uncle?"_

Merlin just gives him a look, "Yeeah? He's my g _reat_ uncle but I thought everyone knew that, i haven't been keeping THAT a secret."

Morgana isn't as surprised as Arthur but still seems perplexed, "If he's been teaching you and he hasn't turned on magic then why did he let all those people die when this whole fiasco began? What's he doing _now_ to make a difference?"

"Well, he's helping _me for one_ and i hope like hell I'm making a difference _.."_ Merlin looks down, "He didn't let them all die. He saved who he could without getting caught. He saved others but he also had to save himself. The whole thing was messy. You'd probably be better off asking him yourself. I'd ask you not to, though, but i doubt you'd listen. It will haunt him til the day he dies."

Arthur and Morgana both bow their heads as well. It is understandable but it still stings something fierce. But at least now they know they could trust _another_ person. Two people in one night! Arthur hopes they won't give the old man a heart attack telling him they knew. The last thing they need is their only trained sorcerer's mentor (and uncle apparently) to die on them. This is so much more than they could have hoped for.

Morgana punchs him in the shoulder, jerking him out of his mussings. " _What_?" he says but Morgana just smiles at him looking from him to Merlin and back. She's practically bouncing on her feet.

" _We found him._ "

His eyebrows shoot up in realisation.

_So_ much more indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note:  
> Ok so i wrote this whole fuckin thing on my phone, i wish it were easier ugh im so tired. I use italics and bold and different punctuation too much for this. But it's so convenient to carry a typing device T~T first world problems amiright?  
> So to clarify Arthur and Morgana are part of a really small rebellion. They don't really know what they're doing tbh but they're trying. With the lack of magical knowledge they have to relie on obscure textbooks from the gutted library and the magical items they can get away with taling from the vaults (those discising cloaks).  
> The plan 'Q' was to make it look like they were part of an organization of sorcerers, obvi. The beginning dialogue was kind of staged kinda not between the two. They argue a lot but purposely left out their names in their conversation as well as Merlin's until the end.  
> They know of Emrys due to Morgana's dreams but didnt know who he was just that he was very important and they needed him. (Also the druid knew of him too but didn't really explain it very well to them)  
> They really took it too far but i have a hankering for fics of Merlin being pushed too far and kicking ass.  
> Two other fanfics inspired me for this one but idk what they're called it's been soo long.  
> One was that Arthur and the knights dressed up in cloaks (sound familiar?LOL) and pretend to be sorcerers and threaten Camelot with Emrys' power (they say Emrys wrong cause they read it in a book, they wanted to sound at least a little authentic i think idk it's hard to remember)  
> Then the other one there's a battle towards the end with Merlin and Morgana. Merlin does or says something and Morgana says something along the lines of "the old religion would never allow that" and Merlin fuckin screams "I AM THE OLD RELIGION" and i fucking LOVE that.  
> If anyone has any idea what I'm talking about can you throw the fics my way? Id like to read them again and give them a shout out for inspiring me.  
> I kinda like this as a one shot. I have no idea how id continue it.  
> Anyway, tell me what you think! Cheers, everyone!
> 
> (Maybe Gaius should give Arthur and Morgana a lecture about going up against and upsetting a strange sorcerer. It doesnt count they knew Merlin before hand cause they didn't know him.)((Merlin isn't exempt from the lecture. He gets an earful about how he might be powerful but you shouldnt go following menacing mysterious notes in the middle of the night alone.))
> 
> Edit: holy shit i found the first fic i was talking about. I searched for the secind one for like an hour and a half and im almost convinced i hallucinated reading and i really hope not but i cant find it.  
> So shout out to 'The Other Pendragon Legends: The Fake Sorcerers 5' by noireallydontcare for the inspiration on this fic. You can find their work on ffnet. It's a bunch of drabbles but they're all golden.   
> I'll continue to look for the other one.


End file.
